Door latch



H. E. WOERNLE DOOR LATCH vMarch 26, .1929.

Filed May 14, 1927 Patented Mar.` 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES vPATi-i-NT o'VFFifcE'.

HARRY E. WOERNLE, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNon To McxINNE'Y iMANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

Appiieation mea May 14,

v My invention relates to door latches and locks, and more particularlyto a latch devicey of the silent type,

whereby a door may be pushed to closed position and yieldably held insuch position, without clicking or other sound. The invention islespecially useful in connection with the doors of hospitals, hotels,apartment houses, etc.

One objectof my invention is to provide a door latching and locking unitof improved form, and capable of application to doors, withoutmaterially altering thel structure of such doors.

Another object of my invention 1 s to provide a latching device that isnoiseless in operation. Y Another object of my invention 1s to provide alatching device of Vthe ysilent type that is readily adjustable, butwhich is rigidly supported against movement independently of theadjusting means.

Still another object of my invention is to simplify and improvedoor-holding devices generally.

Some of the yforms which my invention may take are shown in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of adoor-latohing and locking unit, removed froin a door; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a keeper plate which the lock b olt of Fig. 1engages when in operative position; Fig. 3 shows a co-operating ykeeperor striker for the latch device of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 1s a perspective view,showing the latching device independently of the lock of Fig. 1; Fig. 5is a view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 6, and showing the latchingmembers of Figs. 3 and 4 in position in a door structure, an Fig. 6 is aView taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a door lock 7 which may be of any usual form forinsertion'in the edge of a door in the usual manner. The bolt 8 of thelock co-operates with akeeper or striker plate 9 that may be 4mounteolon a door jamb such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The lock 7 is secured to'a face plate 10 in any suitable manner. Theface plate, near its lower end has a rectangular casing 11 formedintegrally therewith or fastened thereto by welding or in some othermanner. A block 12 extends into the casing 11, through the rear endthereof, and has ver- Doon LATCH.

1927. serial No. 191,374'.

tically Vspaced` tongues 13 that :project through an opening in the faceplate '10. Screws'14 extend loosely through the face plate and havethreaded `eng'agementwiththe upper and lower endjof the block 12.[Compression springs 15 surround the` screws l14 and exert sufficientpressure to hold theheads of the screws in snug engagementwith'the Thescrews 14 serve as: a

riveted in position. The screws 14 are'so ad'- justed that the latchhead 16 will project far enough to engage a depression in a strikerplate or keeper 18 which is fastened to a door jamb 19, when the door 20which -carries the latch is moved to closed position, as `shown moreclearly in Fig. 6. v

The latch device 16, beingof rubber, is not only noiseless, but willyield suiciently to enable it to pass from the outer reduced edge of thestriker plate 18 over an intermediate raised portion and into thedepression near the mid portion of said plate. It will be understoodthat instead of providing a depression in the plate 18, a protuberancecould be formed thereon in position to engage Vthe roller and releasablyhold the door against swinging open.

The screws 14 serve as tie bolts, to rigidly d hold the block 12fwhichcarries the roller,

` cept when the screws 14 are turned to e'ect adjustment of the latchhead l16 toward the striker plate.

The casing 11 may be dispensed with, but I prefer to employ the same asa guiding and supporting element for the block 12 which has a suicientlysnug lit therewith to avoid clicking noise when the roller 16 engagesthe striker' plate.

I claim as my invention l. Latch structure comprising a face plate, a`block disposed rearwardly of said plate and having a 'nose portionextending therethrough, and an adjusting screw rotatable in said plateand having threaded engagement with said block to vary the extent towhich the said nose portion extends through the plate.

2. Latch structure comprising a face plate, a pair-of adjusting screwsrotatably supported by said plate l and extending therethrough, a blockhaving` a nose portion extending through the 'tace plate at a pointbetween the said screws and having threaded engagement with the screws.

3. Latch structure comprising a face plate having an openingtherethrough, va casing open at Aits rear side and disposed against therear face of said plate, va block extending into Said'casing and havinga nose portion extending' to the front ot' the plate, and adjustablemeans for rigidly supporting said block against rearward movementrelative to said casing.

' 4, `Latch structure comprising a face plate having an openingtherethrough, adjusting screws supported bysaid plate and extendingtherethrough, a block having threaded engagement with the screws andnormally spaced from the face plate and a yieldable latch head carriedby said block and ncrinallyextending through said opening, at avpointbetween the said screws. v

5. Latch structure comprising a face plate, a block extending rearwardlyof said face plate and normally spaced therefrom, a yieldable latch headcarried by the forward end ol said bleek, and an adjusting screwrotatably supported in said plate and having threaded engagement withthe block, to vary the position 'of said head with respect to the faceplate. I ,l 1

6. Latch 'structure comprising `face plate, a block extending rearwardlyot said tace plate, a yieldablelatch head carried by the forward. endoi' said block, an adjusting screw rotatably supported in said plateandhaving threaded engagement with the block, to vary the position ofsaid head with respect'to the 'face plate, and means for preventingoutward n'iovenient Yof the screw with respect to the face plate.y Y

` ln testimony whereof I, the said HARRY E. WonnNLn, have hereunto setmy hand.

HARRY E. WOERNLE.

